Top Cosplay Anime Recommendations

Steins;Gate

Also known as Steins;Gate.

Studio: White Fox
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou lives in a small room in Akihabara, where he invents "future gadgets" with fellow lab members Shiina Mayuri, his air-headed childhood friend, and Hashida Itaru, an otaku hacker. The three pass the time by tinkering with their latest creation, a "Phone Microwave" that can be controlled through text messages.

The lab members soon face a string of mysterious incidents that lead to a game-changing discovery: the Phone Microwave can send emails to the past and thus alter history. Adapted from the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb. and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate takes Okabe to the depths of scientific theory and human despair as he faces the dire consequences of changing the past.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Alternate Universe , Conspiracy , Time Loop , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Urban , Primarily Adult Cast , Dissociative Identities , Philosophy , Chuunibyou , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Suicide , Amnesia , Ensemble Cast , Transgender , War , Gender Bending , Post-Apocalyptic , Maids , Shrine Maiden , Cosplay , Trains

Kill la Kill

Also known as Kill la Kill.

Studio: Trigger
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities.

Tags: Henshin , Female Protagonist , Revenge , Nudity , Parody , Surreal Comedy , Class Struggle , Dystopian , Super Power , Tomboy , Aliens , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Military , Anti-Hero , Cult , Psychosexual , Villainess , Incest , Bullying , Philosophy , Ensemble Cast , School Club , Tokusatsu , Delinquents , CGI , Gore , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tragedy , Orphan , Tsundere , Meta , Cosplay , Yandere , Cheerleading

Hyouka

Also known as Hyouka.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Romance , Slice of Life

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classic Literature Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other side cases as well.

Based on the award-winning Koten-bu light novel series, and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto of Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Hyouka shows that normal life can be full of small mysteries, be it family history, a student film, or even the withered flowers that make up a ghost story.



Tags: School Club , Detective , School , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Episodic , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Filmmaking , Rural , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Politics , Cosplay , Shrine Maiden , Bullying

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

High schooler Wakana Gojou cares about one thing: making Hina dolls. With nobody to share his obsession, he has trouble finding friends—or even holding conversation. But after the school’s most popular girl, Marin Kitagawa, reveals a secret of her own, he discovers a new purpose for his sewing skills. Together, they’ll make her cosplay dreams come true!



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Gyaru , Seinen , Photography , Slapstick , Coming of Age , Unrequited Love , School , Tsundere , Urban , Nudity

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Also known as Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Having slept through all four of her alarms, the energetic Narumi Momose finds herself running late for her first day of work at a new office. As she races to catch her train, she makes a promise to herself that none of her coworkers will find out about her dark secret: that she is an otaku and a fujoshi. Her plan goes instantly awry, though, when she runs into Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend from middle school. Although she tries to keep her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work, her cover is blown when he casually asks her whether or not she will be attending the upcoming Summer Comiket. Luckily for her, the only witnesses—Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura—are otaku as well.

Later that night, the pair go out for drinks so that they can catch up after all the years apart. After Narumi complains about her previous boyfriend breaking up with her because he refused to date a fujoshi, Hirotaka suggests that she try dating a fellow otaku, specifically himself. He makes a solemn promise to always be there for her, to support her, and to help her farm for rare drops in Monster Hunter. Blown away by the proposal, Narumi agrees immediately. Thus the two otaku start dating, and their adorably awkward romance begins.



Tags: Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Josei , Office Lady , Female Protagonist , Video Games , Work , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Urban , Kuudere , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Cosplay , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tsundere , Office , Athletics , Tomboy , Bisexual , Classic Literature

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Stardust Crusaders - Egypt-hen

Also known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders - Battle in Egypt.

Studio: David Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Supernatural

After 30 days of travel across the world, plagued with countless battles, Jotaro and his companions have finally arrived in Egypt! Now only the strongest "Stand" users remain to rebuff our heroes' final march on Cairo: The Nine Egyptian Gods, Dio's most zealous servants. Will the Joestar line fall to the monstrous vampire, or can Jotaro defeat Dio and save his mother's life?



Tags: Super Power , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Travel , Shounen , Foreign , Ensemble Cast , Tragedy , Time Manipulation , Primarily Adult Cast , Revenge , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Vampire , Desert , Body Horror , Parody , Animals , Video Games , Gambling , Age Regression , Cosplay , Poker , Zombie , Bisexual , Death Game , Shapeshifting , CGI , Disability , Suicide

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

Also known as Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love. Kaguya struggles within the strict confines of her wealthy, uptight family, rebelling against her cold default demeanor as she warms to Shirogane and the rest of her friends.

Meanwhile, council treasurer Yuu Ishigami suffers under the weight of his hopeless crush on Tsubame Koyasu, a popular upperclassman who helps to instill a new confidence in him. Miko Iino, the newest student council member, grows closer to the rule-breaking Ishigami while striving to overcome her own authoritarian moral code.

As love further blooms at Shuchiin Academy, the student council officers drag their outsider friends into increasingly comedic conflicts.



Note: The first episode had an advanced screening on April 2, in both New York & Los Angeles.


Tags: School , Heterosexual , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Slapstick , Coming of Age , Tsundere , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Meta , Ojou-sama , Kuudere , Parody , Episodic , Seinen , Love Triangle , Satire , Detective , Unrequited Love , Cosplay , Crossdressing , CGI

Grand Blue

Also known as Grand Blue Dreaming.

Studio: Zero-G
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life , Sports

A new life begins for Kitahara Iori as he begins his college career near the ocean in Izu city, full of excitement for his new life. He will be moving into his Uncle's diving store "Grand Blue." There he finds the beautiful ocean, beautiful women, and men that love diving and alcohol. Will Iori be able to live his dream college life?

Tags: School Club , Slapstick , Coastal , College , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Nudity , Male Protagonist , Scuba Diving , Surreal Comedy , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Outdoor , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Crossdressing , Educational , Yandere , Cosplay , Bar , Idol , Tennis

Blend S

Also known as BLEND-S.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

The story centers on a girl named Maika who gets a job at a cafe where all the waitresses are given certain attributes — such as "tsundere" or "little sister" — to embody while serving customers. The manager asks Maika to be the "Do S" (extreme sadist) waitress, so she will have to adopt a dominant and aggressive persona.



Tags: Work , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Sadism , Restaurant , Maids , Tsundere , Cosplay , Masochism , Urban , Femboy , Crossdressing , Otaku Culture , Slapstick , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Meta , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Chibi , Kuudere

Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

Also known as Oreimo.

Studio: AIC Build
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Kousaka Kyousuke, a normal 17-year-old high school student living in Chiba, has not gotten along with his younger sister Kirino in years. For longer than he can remember, Kirino has ignored his comings and goings and looked at him with spurning eyes. It seemed as if the relationship between Kyousuke and his sister, now fourteen, would continue this way forever. One day however, Kyousuke finds a DVD case of a magical girl anime which had fallen in his house's entrance way.



Tags: Otaku Culture , Tsundere , Incest , Family Life , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , Primarily Female Cast , Chuunibyou , Writing , Cosplay , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Parody , School , Badminton

NEW GAME!

Also known as NEW GAME!.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Fresh out of high school, 18-year-old Aoba Suzukaze is bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready for her first day of work at her dream job. She’s joining the character design team at Eagle Jump, the company that makes her favorite video games! But the real world of office culture can be a challenge for a total noob. From her awkward first day to her first game’s debut, she’s got a lot of skills to master. Luckily, her charming determination wins over even her quirkiest of coworkers, and before she knows it, Aoba has joined the party!



Tags: Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Work , Primarily Female Cast , Software Development , Video Games , Office Lady , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Ensemble Cast , Office , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban , Drawing , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic , Tomboy , Tanned Skin , Politics , Tsundere , College , Cosplay

Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?

Also known as How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Slice of Life , Sports

Hibiki enjoys the finer things in life, and when it comes to food, she's downright indulgent. When it becomes clear she's getting chubby, she decides to better herself by joining a gym. In her attempt to find a casual gym, she meets Akemi - a comrade-in-arms. Little does Hibiki know, Akemi has an ulterior motive. What will this wonderful world of fitness have in store for Hibiki?

Tags: Fitness , Educational , Athletics , Female Protagonist , Urban , Primarily Female Cast , Episodic , Tomboy , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Gyaru , Meta , Parody , Tanned Skin , Boxing , Shounen , Food , Teacher , Nudity , Cosplay , School

Kanojo mo Kanojo

Also known as Girlfriend, Girlfriend.

Studio: Tezuka Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

The protagonist, Naoya, is a first-year in high school. He asks out Saki, a girl he has been in love with, and she agrees to be his girlfriend. He's currently on cloud nine. But then, a beautiful girl named Nagisa comes up to Naoya one day and tells him that she wants to go out with him. Naoya feels himself wavering because Nagisa is such a good girl, and he comes to a decision! A new kind of romcom from a rather unexpected decision is about to begin!



Tags: Female Harem , Polyamorous , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Slapstick , Surreal Comedy , Parody , Satire , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Tsundere , Shounen , School , Yandere , Nudity , Bisexual , Cosplay , Video Games , Crossdressing

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

Also known as How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.

Studio: J.C. Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Romance

Suddenly summoned to a fantasy world and betrothed to the princess, Kazuya Souma is crowned the new king after providing the royal family with impressive advice. To rule the kingdom, he's taking the nontraditional (and very human) route of administrative reform. In a realm of dragons and elves, will this revolutionary's unique path prove effective?



Tags: Politics , Kingdom Management , Isekai , Economics , Male Protagonist , Royal Affairs , War , Female Harem , Magic , Food , Elf , Classic Literature , Tanned Skin , Nekomimi , Cosplay , Ensemble Cast , Anthropomorphism , Adoption , Artificial Intelligence

Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi

Also known as My Senpai is Annoying.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Being seen as a full-fledged business woman isn’t easy for Futaba Igarashi when her senpai, Harumi, treats her like a kid. Days for her are never typical, at work or outside of it, with all the antics going on in her life. As mishaps ensue, she’ll find herself growing closer with her loudmouth senpai. Maybe Futaba feels more than she lets on, but one thing’s for sure: she’s still annoyed!



Tags: Office Lady , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Work , Office , Tsundere , Heterosexual , Josei , Tomboy , Age Gap , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Tanned Skin , Ensemble Cast , Urban , Basketball , Video Games , Cosplay

Dr. STONE: Ryuusui

Also known as Dr. STONE Special Episode – RYUSUI.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi

A television special that is set after the second season and centers around Ryuusui Nanami.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Educational , Travel , Outdoor , Primarily Teen Cast , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Lost Civilization , Economics , Environmental , Aviation , Surreal Comedy , Ships , Episodic , Cosplay , Astronomy , CGI

Kakkou no Iinazuke

Also known as A Couple of Cuckoos.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation , SynergySP
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Mixed up with another family's child as a baby, high school student Umino Nagi is finally meeting his biological parents. On the day of their meeting, he happens to encounter Amano Erika, a high school student at a prestigious and wealthy girls school. At her request, he's half-forced into pretending to be her boyfriend so she can avoid marrying her fiance....However, not only were they the babies who had been mixed up, they're also engaged to each other! The loving parents of both families officially recognize their engagement, and the couple begins living together. Nagi is in love with his classmate Segawa Hiro, and Erika is determined to rebel against her father, so the couple agree not to get involved with each other. The mixed-up and chaotic romantic comedy starts now!



Note: The final two episodes were broadcast together as a one hour special

Tags: Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Female Harem , School , Arranged Marriage , Inseki , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Shrine Maiden , Cosplay , Alternate Universe

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no… Slapstick Noel

Also known as Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions: Glimmering...Explosive Festival (Slapstick Noel).

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Episode 13, included in the final volume of the BD/DVD.

Taking place directly after the events of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, Christmas is coming up and Rikka is told by Nibutani that this is an opportunity for her to get closer to Yuuta. Under Makoto's suggestion, they plan a Christmas party at Sanae's Mansion.

Tags: Chuunibyou , School , Heterosexual , Primarily Female Cast , Cosplay

NEW GAME!!

Also known as NEW GAME!!.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

The second season of New Game!.

Aoba Suzukaze starts another year designing characters at Eagle Jump, and she can’t wait to meet the newbie recruits…if any are hired. But before she can even unlock her senpai status, she finds herself in a lead designer position for the company’s newest game! Following in her manager’s footsteps, Aoba’s gotta get good if she wants her skills to compete with Ko Yagami’s. Working hard alongside some interesting new coworkers, only time will tell if Aoba gets her best ending.



Tags: Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Work , Video Games , Software Development , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Office , Office Lady , Seinen , LGBTQ+ Themes , Drawing , Otaku Culture , Tomboy , Airsoft , Episodic , Cosplay , Tanned Skin , College

Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!

Also known as WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

The four-panel comedy manga's story centers on Miyako Hoshino, a shy college student and otaku. Miyako's younger sister Hinata, who is a fifth grader, has a classmate and friend named Hana. When they meet, Miyako falls for Hana at first sight.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Child Cast , Yuri , Cosplay , Age Gap , Family Life , Hikikomori , School , Food , College , Angels